DetailingWiki Newsletter
    Get free and automatic updates on new articles
    We respect your privacy. No data is used for anything other than sending the newsletter!

    Advertisement

How to remove dried up polish

Written by:

Dried up polish can be very unattractive. It is also a hardened substance that can cause surface damage when rubbed over the paintwork. Although the detailer should have removed this, it can be encountered on some jobs. Dried up wax residue can generally be approached in the same way.

Contents

Soak while washing

When the residue is not very old, it will be soft enough to be washed off. The advantage is that the shampoo will help to lubricate the particles, making it much less likely to make any surface imperfections. A downside is that it might require some time to fully soak the residue off. Seeing as polish contains oils, it is recommended to follow up with IPA or a similar product to remove the oily residue.

Scrape the residue off

A plastic razor can help to remove big parts of residue. Although the plastic razor won’t cause any imperfections, the polish particles can still have abrasive qualities while rubbing around. This method could work on older bits or dried up polish.

IPA or similar

In some cases the polish covers a very sensitive area, and soaking with shampoo won’t work. In these cases it can help to soak a cloth in IPA or similar, and cover the blob of polish with the cloth. The wet cloth will slowly soften the polish particle. When it is soft enough, it can be wiped off with a washmitt and some shampoo or a soft microfiber towel.

Dried up polish from trims and rubber

Read how to remove residue from trims and plastics.

Different related articles

  • The best sealant
    Detailing Miscellaneous
    It is often asked on detailing fora and social media: "what is the best sealant". Off course there is a difference between certain products and brands, but it is important to know what you are asking. In this guide I will try to explain what the problem is with this question unless it is asked more in-depth....
  • Cartec bv
    Manufacturers
    CARTEC bv is one of only a few Dutch detailing products manufacturers and is based in Benthuizen, The Netherlands. The company mainly operates within The Netherlands and Belgium, but the brand has been seen outside of these countries winthin Europe. The products are offered both in large packaging and smaller, consumer based, bottles....
  • Surf City Garage
    Manufacturers
    Surf City Garage is an American manufacturer of automotive detailing products. The brand was born after the owner was not satisfied with the products he used for his 150 car collection of classics....
  • Filling swirls – basic
    Correction
    One method of getting rid of Swirl marks is to basically fill up the mark with a filler (a bit like anti-wrinkle cream!!) so that there's no longer a hole and sharp edges to catch the light. This method I prefer for working by hand as it does not require massive effort to break a product down, and by hand this method achieves better results....
  • Gliptone
    Manufacturers
    Gliptone is an New York, America, based manufacturer of automotive detailing products that has a small range of products. They focus their attention on quality instead of quantity, something that has helped to give them the reputation for delivering high-quality products....
  • Comparing wax, sealant and coating
    Detailing Miscellaneous
    There are a few different types of protective products in the world of detailing. The main categories are: wax, sealant and coating. The comparison between these product has always been hazy, and customer have great difficulty finding out what product is the best for their situation. We decided to write a guide that might help you to find the best suitable product for what you are after....

Links to this article

This article currently has one link

Sidebar



Stay up to date with our free newsletter
Always be the first to know about new updates, articles and other informative content.
Don't miss out, opt in!
We respect your privacy. No data is used for anything other than sending the newsletter!